Reviews Dr. No (novel)

ian fleming, letter manchester guardian

maurice richardson, of observer, considered novel usual sado-masochistic free-for-all, plus octopuses . unnamed critic in manchester guardian referred johnson s sex, snobbery , sadism complaint. highlighted sinister ... cult of luxury own sake , bond s enjoyment of branded , bespoke products, disagreed part of johnson s summary novel sign of moral decay; rather, should grateful mr. fleming providing conveniently accessible safety-valve boiling sensibility of modern man. reviewer conceded while casualties take place on narrower front usual, heavy . in april 1958, fleming wrote manchester guardian in defence of work, referring both paper s review of dr. no , article in twentieth century. fleming partly accepted criticism concerning exclusivity of bond s objects, such cigarettes , food, defended on basis had fit bond out theatrical props . these included cocktail, ( vesper ) , bond s diet. fleming called these devices vulgar foibles saddled with, although maybe, suggested, bond s luxury meals saying no toad-in-the-hole , tele-bickies.

writing in times literary supplement, philip stead more generous dr. no. despite thinking fleming offering opulent feast book, stead argued fleming managed pull off, less accomplished writer ... never have got away story. raymond chandler reviewed novel sunday times , praised masterly fleming s depiction of colonial kingston in first chapter. chandler admired fleming s writing, had acute sense of pace. ... don t have work @ ian fleming. work you.

the reviewer time acknowledged critical storm around fleming , dr. no, broadly welcoming of book, writing while not readers agree dr. no ... magnificent writing, ... pages of it, @ least, qualify ezra pound s classic comment on tropic of cancer: @ last, unprintable book readable . in new york times, anthony boucher—described fleming s biographer john pearson throughout avid anti-bond , anti-fleming man —was again damning of fleming s work, saying s harder ever see why ardent coterie admires ian fleming s tales . benson described boucher s critique true form , tirade boucher concluded review saying: 80,000 words long, enough plot 8,000 , enough originality 800.

glendy culligan of washington post described novel thin little whodunit rocked british empire , shook english establishment , adding bully it! culligan admitted confidentially though, enjoyed dr. no, , if sick, sick, sick, gentlemen, make of it. james sandoe in book review new york herald tribune positive dr. no , thought artfully bold, dizzyingly poised thriller of decade. d better read read it.

the writer simon winder believes because fleming writing jamaica, result perhaps attractive of bond books—the relaxed, fiendish, confident . according literary analyst leroy l. panek, in examination of 20th century british spy novels, fleming knew outdated view of jamaica overtaken events—as evidenced novel s description of how queen s club lost during independence struggles. according cultural historian michael denning, acknowledgement of end-of-empire leads sense of doom result of shadow of real history hanging on stories .

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